How to Leverage Your LinkedIn Summary for Sales (With Examples)

The LinkedIn profile summary is prime real estate that you can leverage to improve your effectiveness as a salesperson. It’s a window where prospective clients can peek in and see who you are, why you do what you do, and what you do best.

If you are doing any cold prospecting via email, LinkedIn, or even cold calling, then there is no doubt that people are screening your LinkedIn profile before they respond to you. The LinkedIn summary is above the fold, meaning it’s your first impression outside of your headline, and arguably the most important section of your profile.

Here’s how to maximize your summary section to get more engagement, more leads, and ultimately more sales.

Speak Plainly and Ditch the Jargon

Industry buzzwords and words like “synergy” are best left out of your summary. Jargon and technical speak can come off as salesy and be off-putting to potential clients.

Plain talk or a conversational tone, on the other hand, is refreshing and makes you seem approachable and human. One caveat is that it is still crucial to remain searchable. If specific terms are what customers would search for to find you, then don’t hesitate to cherry-pick those and place them where they make sense.

In Action:

WHAT I DO

I help companies achieve their full potential!

With my consulting services, I’ll evaluate your current software and technology, fine-tune your budget, put available resources to their best use, and negotiate better deals from all your vendors and suppliers. I’m all about saving you money and making your company an efficient goal-breaking machine.

HOW I CAN HELP

✓ IN-DEPTH RESEARCH so I can provide the absolute best recommendations

✓ CONNECT you with the right people in and adjacent to your industry to maximize resources

✓ TRACK AND ADJUST your metrics to boost performance and help you crush your goals

HOW I DO IT DIFFERENTLY

I take a brutally honest and refreshing approach to consulting. I’m always working to find you the right solution, even if that means I need to refer you elsewhere. I recommend only what you truly need and nothing more.

WHY CONNECT WITH ME

Because I offer no-risk free consultations in-person, via Skype, or over the phone. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reaching out.

Blake SmithSales Consultant515-236-8888Blake.Smith@fakecompany.com

Why It Works:

There’s no chance of getting lost if you use a structure like Blake’s. He gets right to the point, uses plain language, and gives you the feeling he’s already on your team.

Be Brief But Specific

LinkedIn caps you at two thousand characters, which is more than enough for conveying what makes you great. Some best practices here are to stick to a few short paragraphs and break them up with white space. Creating easily-scannable sections with plenty of white space is important because prospective customers can easily skim your profile if they’re in a hurry. Beyond that, people are more inclined to read your profile if it consists of short, easily-digestible paragraphs versus a huge intimidating block of text.

Since you’re being brief, there’s no sense in beating around the bush. Get right down to business and be clear. Call out that you best serve small and medium-sized businesses if that’s the case. Sure, you may disqualify a few larger companies who may not return your messages, but you’ll get more qualified leads when people do respond.

In Action:

Hi – I’m Susie. Is your team in need of robust training tools so they can spend less time training clients and more time focusing on hitting your goals?

With my help, you can increase customer retention, create promoters, make your onboarding reps more efficient, and save money. If you’re ready to make that a reality, then email me to schedule a free 20-minute demo.

Why It Works:

Susie takes a refreshing approach that isn’t trying to position, convince, or overemphasize her value. She cuts right to the chase by being blunt, brief, and approachable.

Show Personality

Your LinkedIn summary should be professional, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be boring. People are attracted to passion, honesty, and positivity — and if some gentle humor or radical candor fits your personality, then by all means, go for it.

What does that look like?

Write your summary in a conversational tone.

Show energy in your tone or throw in a joke if that’s something that comes naturally to you.

Write in the first person using “I” statements to make yourself seem more approachable.

In Action:

The marketing content and advertisements I create are unforgettable, immersive, and designed to dazzle your audience. My days are spent ensuring our clients have the support, skills, and sparkle they need to lead their industry.

My favorite places to be: Dead center in a room helping people connect with their dream clients, behind a video camera, and writing thoughtful content in a blank space begging for some authentic energy, game-changing ideas, and a dash of pixie dust.

Why It Works:

Emily does a fantastic job of exuding her bubbly personality while remaining professional and action-oriented. Her personal brand is enhanced by showing she’s passionate about what she does while also making her relatable and likable.

Focus On The Customer

There’s no problem with taking up a little space to add a brief summary of your work to date, your personal history, or even sharing the philosophy of your role as you see it.

However, you don’t want to just talk about yourself. Be sure to focus on what you can do for customers and why they would be interested in talking to you. To spark their curiosity, you can write about common problems your clients face and how you can solve them. Show them a better way, provoke a reaction, and show what sets you apart from other salespeople.

Lastly, an effective strategy is to make your LinkedIn summary an elevator pitch similar to what you’d say if you cold called them. On the phone, you only have 30-60 seconds to make an impression; your summary is no different.

In Action:

How often do you have to “whip up a quick quote or report before the end of the day”? Of course, you say yes and skulk back to your desk fully aware it will be anything but quick. Our team here at FakeCompany knows this problem all too well, so we created a tool that captures all your data in one place so you can build professional and unique-looking reports in 60 seconds or less.

If you’re ready to ditch the late hours building reports and look like a model employee simultaneously, then let’s start a conversation about what I can do for you.

Zoey SmithSoftware Sales Rep515-236-8888Zoey.Smith@fakecompany.com

Why It Works:

Zoey grabs the reader’s attention right away with a question and reminds them of a common pain point they likely face. She demonstrates empathy for employees who have to do the task, and focuses on them and the problem the entire time. Lastly, she ends with not only solving the problem, but also outlining the benefits of solving the problem.

Stick The Landing

Now that you have their attention, you should direct their curiosity towards your call-to-action. Ask yourself, what would be the next logical step for a prospective customer after reading your LinkedIn summary?

If you sell high-dollar items or services, then the next step could be a product demonstration. If you sell a complicated service that is best explained with an hour-long meeting, then perhaps your call-to-action should be all about scheduling a face-to-face meeting.

No matter your desired result, you have to create a compelling call-to-action with extremely clear instructions. Be sure to include multiple ways to contact you, including a phone number, email address, social media profiles, and even your office address if you welcome visits from potential clients.

In Action:

My firm has two decades of accounting experience working with companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s. If you’re looking to free up critical resources around tax season or during an audit, we have the brightest staff, the best tools, and boundless energy. Or if your company is ever in need of a few extra sets of hands, we would be thrilled to consult.

Let’s start a conversation about what Paul Smith & Associates can do for you.

You can reach me over email at paul@fakecompany.com

Text or call me at 515-236-8888

Or even tweet to me @paulsmith

Paul SmithAccounting Firm Sales

Why It Works:

When your goal is to drive action, you’ve got to give readers multiple ways to reach you. Some people live in their inboxes, while others swear a phone call is most efficient. Paul here gives you both, plus a bonus social media profile for tech-savvy prospects. Most importantly, Paul isn’t ending his summary asking for a sale. He understands that the goal here is to aim for small commitments in the beginning. In this case, he’s simply asking to start a conversation.

As a sales professional, your LinkedIn summary section should act as a social bridge by which buyers can accept your inmail, connect with you, and most importantly, start a dialogue. Taking an hour to personalize your LinkedIn summary and make it direct, jargon-free, and customer-focused could be the best thing you’ve done all week.

Are you using LinkedIn to drum up more sales? Have you seen measurable results? Share your story in the comments below:

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Sujan is the co-founder of Mailshake. He is a marketer and entrepreneur with over 14 years of marketing experience. Sujan has led the digital marketing strategy for companies like Sales Force, Mint, Intuit and many other Fortune 500 caliber companies.